Seymour Duncan Custom SH5 or Dimarzio Super Distortion

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nitro

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I narrowed it down to these two pickups which one in your opinions would you chose for the Van halen 1 sound(first album)Thanks.....
 
I think its amusing guys are still chasing Van Hallen 1 tone .. Personally I would go with the custom but I'm biased..The Dimarzio has more saturation but I find it to be a bit muddy , doesn't have the clarity the custom has.
 
Would the Duncan JB have the clarity the Duncan Custom has but also have the saturation the Dimarzio Super Distortion has.
 
I would choose the Dimarzio Super Distortion personally. Perfect pickup for that tone IMO...

Steve
 
Dimazrio SD, best pickup out there, 30+ years later. If you like that LA in the 80's sound, it's perfect. Hot, mids, pick attack, what more could you want?
 
No im having another guitar built and I want to put the right pickup in vs. taking the pickup out and trying other pickups so I want to get it right the first time that's all.
 
I thought the VH detectives all but confirmed through pictures that he was using a Mighty Mite SD clone? Or who knows.
 
Hard to say,the mighty mites were dimazrio super distortion clones.
 
What type of body wood and bridge? I'm a fan of both of those PU's and really like the Super Distortion paired with a PAF pro.
 
Im going this time with a alder strat body(top route with pickguard) maple neck with rosewood board and a Floyd rose.
 
I'd say the Super D. I love it. So many great 70's and 80's classic tones came out of that pickup.

I use Duncans, DiMarzios and EMGs, and like DiMarzio the best.
 
Super Distortion will get you there, may be a bit too hot but roll off the volume to about 7 (if you have decent pots).

EV on VH I and II in my opinion is more in his hands, picking dynamics and attitude than the pickups. Decent Floyded guitar, Marshall based amp, little effects and all Eddie's attack and approach will get you there. I think a lot of folks attack it with too much gain but I think the better approach is the in your face lower gain and volume clarity :)
 
Through the same amp and in similar guitars, those two pickups would sound very close IMO, and in a mix, you prolly wouldn't be able to tell the diff (I have one of each in two different Charvels and have A/B'd just that)...but fwiw, when going for the VH thing, I do go with the Super D).
 
I'm still thinking about the Duncan JB but some are saying that it doesn't sound like early van halen
 
Yep, Custom is definitely brighter, with not as much mid range oomph as the SD. Although I generally prefer Dimarzio over Duncan I'd have to vote in this case for the Duncan Custom. Remember, if you're going with Floyd bridge you'll want the TB version with Duncan and F Spaced with Dimarzio. I might be in the minority, but the JB is probably my least favorite Duncans, and don't think it would be very good for VH tones. That's just my opinion though.
 
nitro":lkzm6gpv said:
Hard to say,the mighty mites were dimazrio super distortion clones.
Click to expand...
There were 3 different Mighty Mite pickups, they each sound different, 2 of them look exactly the same with the adjustable pole pieces, one is a lower output around 9k the other is higher at 13.5k, the higher output one sounds more like a Duncan Custom rather than the Dimarzio Super Distortion to my ears, I'm sure Ed experimented with both of these

But w/o EVH's hands/Templeman/Landee/Sunset Sound that 1st studio album tone will never be duplicated, the pickup is a very small part of that equation
 
I was thinking the Custom Custom (SH/TB-11) would get your closer than the regular Custom?
 
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